What happened
Qantas will start taking 16 Airbus A321XLRs fitted with 16 Thompson Aero VantageSOLO lie-flat seats in a herringbone from 2028, the carrier's first narrowbody flat beds. Each seat has a privacy door and a 19″ entertainment monitor. The same VantageSOLO product already flies on Iberia A321XLRs and JetBlue A321LRs.
Early XLRs arrive in a domestic 737-replacement layout with no seatback screens. The later 16 add cabin-wide entertainment and free fast Wi-Fi. Qantas has close to 50 A321XLRs on order. Perth to Sydney and Perth to Melbourne are possible missions, routes that mix A330s and 737s today. The airline also intends international flying from Adelaide and Brisbane to destinations that could not support nonstops today. An earlier Qantas map of XLR missions from Perth reached well into Southeast Asia and India.
International city pairs for the premium jets remain unannounced. A fleet of 16 in this cabin cannot cover a wide network if the jets also operate domestic premium flights.
Nothing is bookable yet, so watch 2028 deliveries and route announcements for Perth to the east coast and for new Asia nonstops from secondary Australian cities.
- Numbers
- 16 aircraft: A321XLRs planned with flat-bed business class
- 50 aircraft: A321XLRs on order in total
- 16 seats: business class seats per premium A321XLR
- 19″ inches: business class entertainment screen size
- 2028 year: premium A321XLR deliveries begin
- Takeaway
- There is nothing to book yet; watch 2028 deliveries and route announcements if you fly Perth–east coast or want new Asia nonstops from Adelaide, Brisbane, or Perth.